One quarter of individuals have an orgasm from being tickled, research finds

If you think being tickled by a partner is a bit silly and awkward, you might want to reconsider. It could be the path to sexual nirvana, a study suggests.

Researchers contacted more than 700 people online who had expressed an interest in tickling, and asked them about their enjoyment of tickling sensations, as well as their preference for being the ‘tickler’ or ‘ticklee’, and the consideration of tickling as a sexual activity.

And they found that a sizeable minority of the men and women could have an orgasm from tickling alone. 

Researchers found that a sizeable minority of the men and women could have an orgasm from tickling alone (stock photo)

‘A quarter of respondents reported experiencing orgasms exclusively from tickling, while around 88 per cent expressed sexual satisfaction through tickling alone,’ said the researchers, from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (pictured) in Germany 

‘A quarter of respondents reported experiencing orgasms exclusively from tickling, while around 88 per cent expressed sexual satisfaction through tickling alone,’ said the researchers, from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz in Germany.

They added that tickling contributes to ‘the emotional intricacies of intimate encounters’. 

The findings are published in the journal Frontiers In Psychology.